Effects of Academic Self-Regulatory Behaviors and Attention Difficulties on Reading Achievement of First-Grade Students

A growing body of research shows that students’ self-regulatory behaviors are positively associated with reading achievement, whereas attention difficulties are negatively related. However, these factors have typically been examined separately. This study addresses this gap by simultaneously analyzing self-regulation and attention difficulties, as well as their interactions with sociodemographic characteristics, thereby offering a more comprehensive understanding of early reading development. Using nationally representative data from approximately 18,000 first-grade students in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K:2011), we employed structural equation modeling to examine how self-regulatory behaviors and attention difficulties mediate the relationship between reading achievement and attention difficulties. Findings indicated that the direct and mediating effects of self-regulation and attention difficulties differed across sociodemographic groups. Attention difficulties emerged as the stronger mediator of reading achievement compared to self-regulation. These results underscore the importance of supporting self-regulatory skills in the early elementary grades to manage attention difficulties and improve reading performance. This study is among the first to integrate sociodemographic factors with self-regulation and attention in predicting reading outcomes, providing a foundation for more targeted early interventions.